If listened to in the right frame of mind it can be like pleasurably cleaning out your ears with a stick of dynamite.

British noise merchants Kong are here with their debut album and may well make the ears of many bleed till they are shrivelled like a prune. But to others, this aural battering may well just be the perfect leftfield antidote to the Poker-faced mainstream. Either way, 'Snake Magnet' is a verifiable beast of a record, much like King Kong himself, and if listened to in the right frame of mind it can be like pleasurably cleaning out your ears with a stick of dynamite.

This band is comprised of two-thirds of members from Manchester progressive alt-rockers Oceansize so one should expect deviant song structures and time signatures, but everything here is taken that little bit extra. Opener 'Leather Penny' showcases muddy, jarring rock-outs similar to Mastodon whilst single 'Blood Of A Dove' is similarly is sludgy number worshipping the power of the riff.

For all the solid slabs of metal there's the trend here to slip into guttural noise, which has extreme potential to ostracise, with the likes of 'What's Yer Name Called' devolving into a spasmodic exploision of throaty shouting and Dillinger Escape Plan-esque rhythms. It's all a bit hit or miss here, and, whilst enjoying some inspired musicianship that will please the alternative aficionados out there, there may be some a little put off by the grotty, primitive nature of this album.13/07/09Chris Cope